Player Watch Daniel Wells, (New role at the Club #3261)
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JezzasOnTheAsphalt
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- May 14, 2018
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The real question for the selectors is whether they take the risk if he is fit. I think it's a big risk based on his last few years. He doesn't see out many games and even if he does he will have to be used lightly and that puts more game time into others. The carrot was left hanging for Rance but reality prevailed.
I hope we are in a position where the selectors have that decision to make.
Its not as if hes had repeats of the same injuries the past few years....they have all been different. PCL's on their own are easilly recovered from after the appropriate time. Last year it was a freak foot injury.
Whatever decision Richmond made with Rance is irrelevant.
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I just get this feeling that maybe he hasn't pulled up so well after last week's training, or has had a minor setback. Will be interesting to hear training reports this week to see if he is in full training.
Last week we had a few articles surface about the fact he was likely going to return via VFL, and he didn't get named. Then Buckley has made comments that "he is more unlikely than likely" at this stage. So the narrative has changed a bit.
Training won't lie. So if he is there and in full training, then I'd be throwing caution to the wind in r23 and play him to see if his body can hold up on the eve of finals.
Last week we had a few articles surface about the fact he was likely going to return via VFL, and he didn't get named. Then Buckley has made comments that "he is more unlikely than likely" at this stage. So the narrative has changed a bit.
Training won't lie. So if he is there and in full training, then I'd be throwing caution to the wind in r23 and play him to see if his body can hold up on the eve of finals.
Its now or never for Wellsy! Has to play the last VFL game even if they have to staple his knee on backwards, it will either be his last game or his last chance to stake a claim for finals football.
Does he even have the option to play VFL anymore? With the bye next week, it means his last opportunity to play VFL is r23. That means no senior games before finals. If we happen to win the next 2 and make top 4, we'd be hesitant to bring back both Stephenson and Wells with no senior footy behind them. We might also potentially be doing it with Moore as well.
Perhaps if also gets a game in over the bye before finals then he has 2 solid games behind him.
I agree though, there is no point being conservative. If he can run, then throw him out there. Which is why I can't believe they didn't give him a crack at it this week...unless he didn't pull up well at training,
he is done for the year. no chance he plays seniors now. too big of a risk.
Probably not a bad point about a possible injury procurement, and not something I had really considered as a possibility despite his injury-riddled past.
I'm pretty well just assuming they would've played him on the weekend at say 70 percent readiness, where he could've battled through the game with minimal impact, proving next to nothing and, as well as potentially hurting himself, then play the last VFL game.
That or - as they have done - give him the two weeks extra time to go into the last game at say 85 percent readiness and give it absolutely everything he has, and actually try to prove his worthiness for the first final.
The plus side that he can go as hard as physically possible and he'll have the pre-finals bye to overcome any match soreness he has from the VFL game... and soreness there will will be!
It makes sense, and we can use the next 2 weeks to build up some serious training into him. I think though that even if he played r23 in the VFL, it would be a huge call to bring him in the first week of finals with no AFL match conditioning. He'd basically be hoping for an injury that leaves us desperate. Last year we could have pulled the trigger on Moore but resisted the temptation. I'd say we would do the same this year if we don't cop injuries and we keep winning.
Except last year resisting the temptation might have cost us in the end with our undersized key defenders beaten when it mattered
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Agree on it becoming a huge call now. Very hard for him to demand selection for week 1 of finals, no matter how well he goes, if the team is intact and going ok. Esp with Stevo returning and maybe JDG and Moore.
Say if (big if) we get to week 1 of the finals and our availability is last Saturday's team plus Stevo, JDG, Moore, maybe Aish and maybe Wells?
Who goes out of Saturday's team?
Madgen, Thomas (1 swallow does not make a summer),Daicos, then a tossup between Varcoe, Wills (I think his grunt is needed), Mayne, WHE (see Thomas) and possibly Shaz (team balance)
That's how I'd rank them anfd if you held a gun to my head I'd say Varcoe and Mayne are in trouble
I think:
De Goey comes in for Wills (I like Wills, but De Goey can pinch-hit in the midfield and has more impact on clearances)
Stephenson comes in for Daicos
Moore comes in for either Elliott of JT - I think we seriously need to be asking if Elliott is best 22 if we also have JDG and Stephenson. He hasn't been kicking goals and could have really cashed in the last 2 weeks but didn't. I think he is getting better each week and looks to be moving well. But if he can't have a good game in the next 2 weeks, then there are real question marks. I think we need the extra tall, so that sends Roughead back.
Aish for Magden - I think if we have Moore in the side, we always have the flexibility of sending him back in need be. So we would probably prefers Aish over Magden if push came to shove.
Then if Wells is available, he might come in for JT or Varcoe. I think Varcoe has been good the last 2 weeks so he probably holds in.
Mayne is right on the fringe as well, but if they opt to drop Magden, then I think Mayne's ability to chop out in defence saves him.
Probably a bit pointless now even speculating because still so many question marks about the availability of a lot of players, and we may still get injuries in the next 2 weeks.
Pretty easy. For four ins (not including Wells) the outs are Daicos Thomas Varcoe and Madgen.
Other potential outs to fit Wells and another (Reid????) then Wills and Mayne could be the two but I doubt them at this stage.
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jackcass
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Getting through R23 VFL would at least give selectors some confidence he'd get through a final if needed. Our VFL team is almost certain now to miss finals so there goes a chance for anything more than that.
they would have to hammer him on the track in the next 2 weeks and try to break him. If he gets through there is a small chance he could play if we get more injuries. It'd would be small and unlikely though. he would have to play out of his skin the VFL. its a shame we desperately need his class.
Listening to Pickering this morning on the radio and I got the impression he pulled up sore from training. Pickering said that he has the odd session where he just doesn't feel right, and after the last session where he was pushing to play, he just didn't feel ready. Makes me think either he had a minor setback or just isn't ready.
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Can you pls clarify if you referring to Wells, JDG Or Moore?
I think it may be Wells as he was the only one who was realistically a possibility to play.
Moore and JDG were never going to play IMO.
Put the bloke on a stretcher starting centre square. Could get a few clearances if Grundy taps it down to him. Would be a better option that wills or sier and hell, he might even teach Treloar how to hit a target!
I tend to think he is probably done for the year but, if you are Wellsy you don't want to die wondering, has to at least play the last ressies game and give it his all. If -by some miracle- he has a very good game and pulls up ok, then he at least gives himself a chance.
